Mechanical figure toy



Dec. 24, 1940. J. P. ADAMS MECHANICAL FIGURE TOY Filed March 19, 1940 Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEC ANICAL FIGURE TOY John Perley Adams, Calais, Maine Application March 19, 1940, Serial No. 324,877.

2 Claims. '(ol; zap-4.19)

may be seated and from which the propelling This invention relates to mechanical toys and more particularly to a figure toy which may bev used as a vehicle and exercising'device.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved mechanical toy of the class described, which is of simple and sturdy construction, easy and economical to manufacture, and effective in providing amusement and entertainment and in stimulating a desire v for the exercise and balanced body development afforded by regular use of the device. I

In its preferred embodiment, the invention contemplates the provision of a figure toy made in the form of a horse or other animal to be ridden and provided with means-by which it can be propelled and steered by the rider, The toy is preferably made of wood but can obviously be manufactured of metal, molded fiber or plastic, or any other suitable material or combination of materials strong enough to support a rider of the weight appropriate to the size of the toy. One advantage of the simple exemplaryform of'the invention which is illustrated herein is that the various parts may be made fromlumber of uniform thickness from regular stocks and shaped to the desired outline or silhouette with little or no beveling or shaping in the third dimension.

The figure toy is preferably mounted upon one or more front and rear Wheels. The front wheel or wheels are swiveled on a vertical axis and provided with means by which they may be steered by the feet of the rider. The rear wheels have driving mechanism associated therewith which is adapted to be operated by the manual movement of a pivoted portion of the body of the figure toy, preferably in simulation of the normal movement of said portion which occurs when the original of the figure is walking or running.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which one embodiment is illustrated by way of example. i i

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a toy embodying the principles of the invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are views in front and rear elevation respectively of the toy; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the driving mechanism for the figure toy.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing the figure is that of a horse, the body portion of which is indicated by thenumeral I0. This body portion comprises the two side members or plates II and I2 which are spaced apart by means of an upper centrally disposed element l3 and by other members to be presently described. A saddle I4 is provided upon the top of the body portion Ill upon which the rider and steering means are readily accessible.

The head and neck portion of the animal figure is designated by the numeral l5 and is of a width or thickness corresponding to the spacing of the side elements H and of the body. The lower end I6 of the head and neck portion [5 is inserted at the proper place between the forward ends of the body plates ll and I 2 and is mounted for pivotal movement upon the transverse pin 18.

The body It) is provided with a pair of hind legs which are rigidly secured to the rear portion thereof as by means of the screws or other fastening elements 2|, these legs. being preferably applied against the outer surfaces of the respective body plates II and I2. The lower ends of the hind legs 20 are secured as at 22 to the transverse wheeled frame 23.which is provided with the axle 24 carrying the wheels 25, said axle being mounted for rotation in the end brackets 26 carried by the frame 23.

The front legs of the animal toy take the form of a rigid unitary frame 30 which comprises the spaced leg shaped elements 3| and 32 having the axle or pin 34 at the lower ends thereof upon which is mounted the. steerable supporting and guiding wheel 35. The leg members 3| and 32 are spaced at their upper ends by means of the block 36 to which they are secured as for example by means of thescrews 3'|.- The lower forward portion of the body elements II and I 2 are similarly spac ed by means of the block 38 and both of the blocks 36 and 38 are provided with aligned vertical bores through which a king pin 40 may be inserted for providing a swivel connection between the forward mounting and steering unit 30 and the main body frame. The pin 40 may be provided with a washer and cotter pin or any other form of retaining means such as suggested at 42. In order to provide a smoother bearing surface between the swivel frame and the main frame the circular plate or washer element 44 may be inserted therebetween. A transverse foot bar 45 is secured as at 46 to the steering frame'30 whereby the-rider may guide the toy in any direction. It is obvious that two Wheels may be employed instead of the single wheel -35 without departing from the principles of the invention The head and neck member I5 is provided with a transverse handle bar 50 by means of which it may be oscillated about its pivot l8, and suitable driving connections are interposed between the member 15 and the drive wheels 25. This transmission mechanism will now be described. Secured to the lower end N5 of the head portion I5 and depending downwardly therefrom is the crank or lever member 52. Pivotally connected as at 53 with the lower end of the crank 52 is the rcarwardly extending link bar 54 the rear axle 24.

end of which is pivoted as at 55 to the upper end of the downwardly extending rocking lever 56. These elements, as clearly shown in the first three figures of the drawing, are disposed between the two body portions II and I2 in an out of the way position. The rocking lever 55-is fulcrumed at 51 to the lower end of the bar 58 which is secured as at 59 to the side plate l2 of the body portion, and extends downwardly therefrom. The lower end of the lever 56 is provided with the opposed pawls 60 and BI, the upper pawl 60 being pivotally mounted as at 62 and the lower pawl Bl being pivoted at B3 to the lever 56. Upon the axle 24 to which the driving wheels 25 are fixed, there is rigidly secured at a central point the shrouded ratchet wheel 65. This wheel is adapted to fit within a recess 66 in the frame 23, and the pawls 60 and 6! are uided between the shrouds 68 of the wheel. The upper pawl 60 is a pulling pawl provided with a tooth 69 which is adapted to engage successive ones of the teeth 10 on the ratchet wheel and to pull the ratchet in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4 upon its forward movement corresponding to a forward push on the handle bar 59. The lower pawl'fil, on the contrary, is a pushing pawl, the tooth 12 of which is adapted to engage and propel the ratchet wheel in the same counter-clockwise direction when it moves rearwardly as the handle bars are pulled in a rearward direction. The spring 15 connected at its ends with the pawls 60 and BI respectively serves to maintain the pawls in operable engagement with the ratchet wheel.

The operation of the device is apparent from the foregoing description. It will be readily understood that the rider seated upon the saddle l4 may steer the device by means of alternate forward pressures on the respective ends of the foot bar 45 and the device is propelled by the manual oscillation of the head portion l5, this movement being transmitted through the various driving connections to the oppositely acting pawl and ratchet mechanism carried by the rear By means of the double ratchet arrangement, the device is given a continuous forward movement regardless of the direction of oscillation of the head of the animal, and this arrangement affords a definite advantage over other driving and propelling expedients such as a pitman and crank drive which is of course capable of applying driving forces in but a single direction.

It is understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the embodiment illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A progressively operable hobby horse of laminated construction adapted to be propelled by a rider, said hobby horse comprising, in combination, a substantially rigid body portion composed of a pair of flat plates disposed in parallel vertical planes and conforming in outline to the silhouette of the body of the animal, spacing means of limited lateral extent secured between said body plates, plate-like members secured fiatwise against the lower rear part of said body portion and having the outline of the hind legs of the animal, spaced parallel plates simulating the front legs rigidly secured together and swiveled to the lower forward part of the body portion for-horizontal steering movement, a supporting wheel rotatably mounted between the lower ends of said front leg plates, driving wheels supporting the rear leg plates, a fiat plate conforming in outline to the silhouette of the head and neck of the animal having the neck portion thereof secured between the upper for- Ward portions of said body plates for pivotal movement in a vertical longitudinal plane, driving mechanism associated with said rear driving wheels, and lever and linkage connections operatively connecting said neck portion with said driving mechanism and disposed within the narrow space between the said body plates, means on said head plate for manually oscillating the same for actuating said driving means and propelling the device, and a footrest on said front leg plates for swiveling them and steering the device.

2. A progressively operable hobby horse of laminated construction adapted to be propelled by a rider, said hobby horse comprising, in combination, a substantially rigid body portion composed of a pair of flat wooden plates disposed in parallel vertical planes and conforming in outline to the silhouette of the body of the animal, spacing elements secured between said body plates and being of substantially the same thickness as one of said body plates, plate-like members secured fiatwise against the outer surfaces of the lower rear parts of said respective body plates and having the outline of the hind legs of the animal, spaced parallel plates simulating the front legs rigidly secured together and swiveled to the lower forward part of the body portion for horizontal steering movement, a sup porting wheel rotatably mounted between the lower ends of said front leg plates, a flat plate conforming in outline to the silhouette of the head and neck of the animal having the neck portion thereof secured between the upper forward portions of said body plates for pivotal movement in a vertical longitudinal plane, a horizontal crossbar rigidly secured to the lower ends of the spaced hind leg plates, an axle parallel with said bar and rotatably secured thereto, driving wheels fixed upon the ends of said axle, a ratchet Wheel rigidly secured to the intermediate portion of said axle, a pawl device coacting with said ratchet wheel to rotate the latter, a substantially vertical lever carrying said pawl device on itslower end, a fulcrum bar secured to the rear part of the body portion and extending downwardly therefrom, means for pivoting said lever upon the lower end of said fulcrum bar to increase the mechanical advantage of said lever, a link connecting the upper end of said lever with the lower end of said neck portion, said lever and. said link being disposed within the narrow space between said body plates, means on said head plate for manually oscillating the same for actuating said driving means and propelling the device, and a footrest on said front leg plates for swiveling them and steering the device.

JOHN PERLEY ADAMS, 

